Except you have been under a rock you have heard or seen the effects of Fenty’s trophy wife a highlighter that practically allows you to be seen from space. Over the last few years, it has been all about highlighters, how to do it and for people like me what works best on darker skin tones. Just when we started getting familiar with using highlighters strobing came into the picture. In my mind, I was like WTF one more thing to learn and to be honest I didn’t understand the difference between the two. So if you are like me and have always wondered what the difference between highlighting and strobing is and how do I get the best results? Look no further because I have you covered.
So just to be clear, I will talk about the differences in highlighting and strobing however if you
Is there a difference between strobing and highlighting?
Well yes and no. Yes because both involve highlighting parts of your face that would naturally be lit by sunlight the tops of your cheekbones, the brow bone and above the eyebrow, the bridge of your nose, your Cupid’s bow, and chin. The no part comes from the overall effect you get from either highlighting or strobing.
The main difference is that highlighting is usually paired with contouring, while strobing is a highlight that stands alone and typically has a very dewy finish thanks to setting sprays, illuminators, serum mixed into the foundation, or cream products that add depth
The simple way to differentiate is to remember this: highlighting goes hand in hand with contouring, whilst strobing sits solo.
With strobing, the idea is to create the appearance that the luminosity and light come from within. Basically strobing makes it look like you have a lightbulb underneath your skin which is making it glow. Highlighting, on the other hand, is focused solely on giving luminosity to certain brighten areas of your face you want to pop out.
Strobing
The technique used in strobing focuses on using light to enhance your features to give the dewy finish, here no bronzer or contour is used so may require more skill to ensure that the face is properly illuminated. For strobing to be most effective make sure to use finely milled shimmer or powder because the idea is to look like the glow is from within.
How do you strobe
Although strobing and highlighting look very similar at the surface level there are slight differences. Highlighting is done with contouring so that you get the highlight and lowlight effect on the skin at the same time. Strobing, on the other hand, uses illuminators on their own but gives you an all-over the dewy finish to your complexion. The goal for strobing is a more natural finish which makes you look healthy and luminous and if done properly gives you your skin but the better vibe
Highlighting
Highlighting is usually done in conjunction with contouring using darker skin shades to chisel your features, while the lighter shades make you cheekbones pop to create a shape.
How do you highlight it?
Well, highlighters are used to reflect light and brighten areas of the face or body where they’re applied. Highlighters are usually applied on the cheek, bridge of the nose and chin basically all the places light would hit naturally. Most highlighting is usually done in tandem with contouring to make those areas even more prominent..
Choosing a highlighter
When picking a highlighter it is important to pick one that compliments your skin tone. If you have warm skin (golden, yellow undertones) peachy tones work the best while if your undertones are cool (those with pinkish, blue undertones) use white or pink shades.
Which is better Strobe vs Highlight?
It depends. I know that is an annoying response but it does depend. If you don’t have well-defined features then highlighting and contouring is the way to go because it allows you to accentuate and create the shape you want for your features. If you already have the cut-glass cheekbones but want to look like you were dipped in honey with a glow from within then strobing is for you.
In addition, highlighting can be more time-intensive when compared to strobing so if you don’t like spending a lot of time making up then strobing is for you otherwise grab that Fenty –Trophy wife and get to work. Finally for special occasions or taking photographs highlighting is the better choice because it defines your features making them easier to pick up on print.
Can you strobe or highlight if you have Acne?
If you are already wearing makeup then yes, but if you have breakouts on your cheeks where you intend to apply highlight it may make it more obvious. So be careful or avoid it altogether until your acne or breakouts have healed.
That it’s the difference between strobing Vs highlighting, they are very similar so it depends on what you want and how much time you have on your hands. Let me what you think would you prefer to strobe or highlight? Let me know in the comments.
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